Absolutely Dreadful
by strangerpotter
Summary: "She was an absolutely dreadful person to be around. He often wondered how people could stand to be around her." During his sixth year at Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy definitely has more serious things to worry about than some stupid rivalry with some stupid girl, who just happens to be the top student in his Transfiguration class, the class he just so happens to be failing. DracoXOC


Hi Hi Hi! So this fic is for a few challenges such as **the That's You! Challenge** **by D-Savano** in the category **Sherlyn** , the **AU Challenge and Competition 100 Points** by **Mickiboo** with the **B1-50** word prompt 'tutoring'! I hope you like this story and let me know what you thinks of it.

I would also like to ass that the whole 'Transfiguration tutoring' thing is very common/similar to a specific fanfiction I have read and love, but it's honestly pure coincidence.

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She was an absolutely dreadful person to be around. Honestly, she really was. He often wondered how people could stand to be around her. He was also pretty sure he hated her almost as much as that damn Potter. No, he hated her _more_ than Potter. And that was really saying something. She was just so… sure of herself. Just be looking at her, he could see how highly she thought of herself. And it was confirmed by the way she looked down on him and his friends (metaphorically of course, seeing as she was a great deal shorter than him). That was another thing about her. She looked different from everyone else, making her stand out, and she damn well _knew_ it.

Some of her features, individually, were very normal and common. Like her eyes, a very simple dark brown. Of course they were the size of saucers, but that was beside the point. And her lips; they were neither too thin, nor too thick. They were perfectly average. But there were other things, like he hair; Merlin her _hair_. It was so long, so dark, and so damn _curly_. It was more or less similar to that Granger's hair; though her curls were sharper and it was over all tamer, thank Merlin. She also had a very odd skin tone, as in most of the time she looked slightly more than averagely pale. But during the night, especially outside, she practically glowed in the dark.

Being around her was tortuous. So, of course, they had the majority of their classes together during their 6th year. While Draco had much more important things to worry about that year (such as being a newly initiated Death Eater with a mission from the Dark Lord himself who would kill Draco if his assignment was not carried out. Normal teenage issues.) her nagging presence in his subconscious refused to leave him alone. And of course, of _course_ , she was the top student in his Transfiguration class. The class that he was beginning to fail. And he could absolutely _not_ fail a class, especially one that he _needed_. His father would have a fit. And that damn McGonagall knew it too. He knew she did the second she asked him to stay after class the end of the first semester. He'd walked over to her desk, hands deep in his pockets and books still on his desk.

"Mr. Malfoy," she had said, "I've noticed, as I'm sure you have as well, that your grades in my glass have been slipping."

For a few moments he just stood there and stood at her. He had to watch what he said. She had never been his favorite teacher, and he knew he'd certainly never been her favorite student. And even if you like the teacher telling you this, what are you supposed to say? 'I'm very sorry Professor, and I really am going to start doing my best.' Well, he wasn't going to say that because it wouldn't be true.

It seemed he'd waited too long to say something because she continued talking. "I know your grades are important to you, which is very admirable." She started to sort though and tidy up some of the papers on her desk. "That being said, I've decided to assign you a tutor."

What? No. No, no, no. That was absolutely and completely out of the question. A tutor? Draco Malfoy and a _tutor_? No, it couldn't be. She had to be joking, right? But no, she wasn't. In fact, the look on her face was as equally as serious as it always had been. There had been no change. He must have looked as shocked as he felt because, for a moment, he thought her faced might have softened. Even though not one muscle moved.

"I've picked someone who I know can teach you everything you need to know." She leaned to the side slightly, around Draco and looked across the room, "Miss Dawson, could you come here, please?"

Draco's whole body stiffened instantly as sudden footsteps became louder and closer by the second. Before he knew it, _she_ was standing next to him, perfectly casual as always. She didn't even _look_ at him. As if he disgusted her _that_ much. Her eyes stayed put on McGonagall as she spoke with a simple, "Yes Professor?"

She almost smiled at her. Almost. "You heard what I said?" she nodded her head just enough that her curls lurched forward, "And I trust you have no issue with teaching Mr. Malfoy? Due to either capability or… social expectations?"

The corners of her lips turned up slightly, "Not at all. I'm sure that with the right amount of effort, on both our parts of course, Mr. Malfoy will be doing fine soon enough." He could have gagged.

"Wondefull." She placed her glasses on her nose, looking down at the paper in her hand. "I suggest you two plan a meeting time on your way to lunch."

Draco didn't wait even a second to make sure she was actually dismissing them. He sharply turned and stalked out of the classroom (looking as casual and graceful as he could, of course), swiftly grabbing his books off his desk as he passed. He felt as if he could breathe only after the classroom door shut behind him. Behind him, he could both feel and hear her trying to catch up to him, ignoring a few students who greeted her with a "hey Bethany" as she passed them. She began to grow inpatient and was less gentle with her walking through the crowd.

"Merlin, do you run cross-country over break or something?" she muttered, more to herself than to him, once she had caught up to him, "Malfoy will you _slow down_?"

She grabbed his arm and tugged him back so that he now stood in front of her. After a few seconds, when he surprisingly (to both of them) didn't struggle to walk away, she released his arm and used her now free hand to push the hair out of her face which almost immediately fell back into its original place. "Look, I know that this isn't exactly ideal for either of us, but wouldn't you rather start early so we can get this over with?"

"Frankly, I'd prefer not starting at all." Bethany rolled her eyes at him.

"Yeah, well, that's not really an option." She told him sorely, then her voice fell quiet as if she didn't want people to overhear what she said next, "So just… tell me when you're free so we can stop talking about this."

He thought for a moment, scowling when she got pushed closer to him by the traffic flow of students that they were interrupting. "My last class is my study hall. Then?"

She shook her head, "Can't, I have charms, then. I suppose it had to be after school."

He laughed bitterly, "Me? Spending my free time with you? Very likely."

Her eyes narrowed, making her eyes much smaller than he'd ever seen them. "Fine then, fail the class. Fail your N.E.W.T.S next year. I really don't care either way. I only agreed to this because it would look good on my records and because McGonagall asked me to." She turned her back to him and started to walk away at quite a fast pace for someone with such short legs. And for a moment, he debated letting her leave. But he knew, and hated to admit, that she was what would allow him to pass the blasted class.

So he went after her. He didn't call her name, though. He didn't run, he barely picked up his pace in the slightest. She wasn't worth that. He eventually fell into step with her just as she turned the corner of the hall. She hadn't gotten _that_ far. "After school then." He said, making sure to keep his eyes dead ahead. "When?"

He could see her out of the corner of his eye. She looked up at him for a moment before a smirk settled on her face. "Thursday." She said, "At six thirty, after dinner, in the library. And I'll hang you from the Astronomy Tower if you make me wait."

"Same to you."

They had to go three days without a conflict to avoid an awkward tutoring session. Only _three_ days. And they almost did it, too. They had twenty-six hours until they were to meet in the library. If he hadn't just gone to the courtyard (and if he hadn't brought Pansy with him, of course) they'd have made it. He'd sat on one of the benches included in the semi-circle with his potions notes and a piece of parchment in his lap. Maybe if he pretended to be doing work, Pansy would leave him alone. After all these years, he was surprised at himself that he hadn't learned better. She was just babbling about something, something he couldn't have remembered even if he wanted to. And the way she was babbling, he never needed to say anything. And he was very much enjoying it. And it had to be ruined by

"Ugh, it's Granger and that Dawson girl."

His eyes darted up from his paper and very soon after found the two girls she was talking about. They both held books close to them as they sat on a bench not too far away from his. It wasn't surprising that they talked and appeared to be studying together. They were both brilliant in all their classes, why wouldn't they get along? As she sat next to her appeared-to-be friend, Bethany moved her gaze to meet his. After holding her look for a moment, his eyes averted back to his paper. He hadn't told Pansy about his and Bethany's meeting time the next day for a reason.

Pansy made a scoffing-like sound. "I don't know which ones worse, the mudblood or the blood-traitor."

He shrugged his shoulders, "I think it changes every day."

She laughed a bit, "I think you're right." Pansy said, still glaring at them. "Look at them, so high and mighty because they can read a book when they're really no better than Muggles."

"You hear that, Hermione?" Draco looked up from the paper in front of him at the source of the voice. While Bethany was completely facing her friend, her eyes were very blatantly on Pansy. "According to some people, we're 'no better than Muggles'." She made a very fake sounding laugh, looking down at her papers. "Well, I suppose I'd rather be a Muggle than a pompous bitch."

Malfoy had to hold back a snort at this, and then again at Pansy's face. Her mouth hung open and her eyes were filtered with hatred. And then there was Bethany, who sat perfectly straight with a wide smirk on her face.

Pansy jumped to her feet and began stalking over to them, "You stupid, disgusting, filthy _blood_ _traitor_!" Draco grabbed her wrists, holding her back from attacking the other girl.

Hermione did the same to Bethany, though it was less effective since they were about the same size. "At least _my_ friends actually _like_ me and don't just hang out with me because of stupid social obligation!" she spat back, squirming out of her friends grasp for only a moment before she was grabbed again.

Pansy laughed, "Ha! You think your worthless friends actually _like_ you? That's pathetic." By now everyone who was in the courtyard was beginning to gather around them, and others were coming from the halls. "Your moodblood friend just wants someone to talk about the new Charms project with. And that bloke McLaggen you follow around like a lost puppy? I can just tell he only keeps you around hoping to get some you _skank_!"

Bethany stopped struggling, and for a moment Draco thought she might cry. But she flicked some hair out of her eyes and said, very simply with a small smile on her lips. "At least I don't have a boyfriend who so obviously hates me."

Everyone's jaws dropped, and the courtyard fell silent. Pansy stood perfectly still as if she was frozen in place. Draco couldn't see her face, but he could only imagine the expression that had taken over. Even Hermione was shocked, shocked enough that she let go of Bethany. Now free, she lazily walked over to them, her hands planted on her hips.

"Don't tell me you didn't know? Oh," she sucked her teeth, with a very fake expression of sympathy painted on her features, "You poor thing. You haven't noticed how he almost never makes eye contact? How drawling his voice becomes when he talks to you, _if_ he talks to you. How he is just so _excited_ to see you? Sometimes it seems as if he'd rather be talking to a blood traitor like me." Bethany, now only a foot away from the two, crossed her arms and shook her head. "Even if McLaggen only keeps me around as a toy, at least he _tries_ to make it seem like something else."

Once Bethany had finished her little speech, Draco could feel Pansy taking in a shaky breath. And in one motion, she yanked out of his grasp and ran off, pushing through the small crowd. Draco watched her go, not bothering to follow her, then turned his attention back to Bethany. She looked less satisfied with herself than she had when Pansy was there. Her eyes were still fixed on the spot where the girl had disappeared. She only turned back to him when he did to her.

"You shouldn't have done that, Dawson." He said simply.

Bethany stared up at him, facial expression very plain and difficult to read. "Was anything I said wrong?" she asked quietly. He wanted to say yes, she was. Because then, for _once_ in her life, she would _actually_ be wrong. But she wasn't. Everything she said was right. He didn't try to like Pansy, didn't even try to pretend. And he knew that he wasn't the only one. When he didn't said anything in response, she nodded and walked back to her friend, grabbed her books, and walked through the crowd.

Thursday at six-twenty five, after dinner. Draco was supposed to meet Bethany in the library in five minutes. Or at least last time he checked he was. After hers and Pany's confrontation in the courtyard, he wasn't sure if she would show up or not. Maybe he shouldn't have shown up. He had no idea, and the three minutes he'd spent leaning on the stone wall next to the library door hadn't helped him to figure it out. It just made him more confused. He looked at the clock down the corridor. Six-twenty six. Draco sighed and pushed himself off the wall and yanked the door open.

They hadn't discussed anything further about their meeting than 'Thursday, six-thirty in the library'. Where in the library? The library at Hogwarts was huge, and he certainly wasn't familiar with it. So he just began to wander up and down the aisles of books, desks, and students. It seemed that she was nowhere to be found. Six-twenty eight. He was beginning to feel at loss. That is, until he entered the darker part of the library, in the back, very close to the restricted section.

She sort of blended into the dark, with her black mass of hair and a black jumper. But her skin gave her away, the almost fluorescent and to light to be peach color contrasted too highly with the dark to be missed. She sat at a desk, a book open in front of her and a messenger's bag on the chair next to her. He walked over to her and gripped the back of the chair that occupied her bag.

"Expecting someone?" he asked, causing her to jump slightly. She looked away from her book and up at him. Her face was coated in surprise, as if she truly didn't expect him to show up. Soon, though, the surprise melted and a small smile took its place.

"Looks like I don't have to take you on a trip to the Astronomy Tower, after all." Reaching over, she dragged her bag off the chair and to the floor and closed her book. "I thought for sure Parkinson would have barricaded you in your room or something."

He cleared his throat and took the seat next to her, only then realizing just how close it was to hers. "She, um, doesn't exactly know what I'm doing right now."

She nodded slowly, pulling some books out of her bag and setting them on the desk between them. "Right. Well, it's better that was, isn't it." Bethany opened the cover of the first book and began flipping through the pages

He looked at her, as carefully as he could in the dark. It seemed that the only light that illuminated them and their area was from a lit candle in front of her. It had already begun to get dark outside and they were too far away from the windows to get any of the remaining light. Though, he preferred her in that lighting. She looked less… perfect. He could see freckles faintly splattered across her cheeks, along with some acne scars. And for once, in the entire five years they'd 'known' each other, he could see dark circles under her eyes. Perhaps even the beginning of bags. It turned out she wasn't as polished and put together as everyone thought she was.

"You know, Malfoy" she said, eyes not leaving the pages of the textbook. "A picture lasts longer."

He realized what she said and averted his eyes to the book, clearing his throat. "I'm aware, but thanks."

Bethany laughed softly. It wasn't quite a giggle, seeing that most of the time a giggle sounds more flirtatious than anything else. He'd never quite heard her laugh before. Or not seriously, at least. It was actually nice.

"Sorry if that sounded mean." She said, still with a soft smile. "I'm just teasing you."

Draco shook his head, "No, it's fine." He told her, almost smiling. "It's just weird. You look different."

"Different how?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. You seem normal, for once."

She scoffed slightly. "For once?" Bethany asked, "What did I look like before? A goblin?"

"That's not what I meant." Draco said, rolling his eyes. "It's just that you always look so… controlled, and well kept. It's unnatural to look perfect all the time, and it was getting annoying. About time you actually have a flaw."

The papers ceased to flip as her hand rested on the page it was turned to. When he looked at her, her eyes were fixated on the flame of the candle. "Wow." She said quietly. The corners of her lips twitched up for a split second. "I never thought I'd see the day when Draco Malfoy actually complimented me."

He scoffed, "I absolutely did not."

"In your own way, you kind of did." She looked at him. "And, I mean, of course you're annoyed I know how to keep up my appearance. You used to be able to do that, and very well, too. But this year… I don't know what, but something happened this year and you're not the same." She stared for a few moments, then looked away, clearing her throat. "Or so I've noticed."

Draco shook his head, "Why so you care?"

"I never said I cared, I just noticed." She answered. Though he didn't know why, Draco could have sworn he felt a twinge of disappointment when she said this. But that would be absurd. "But," Bethany added, very slowly, "If I did care, it's probably because I've seen people change before. And I've seen how it ends. I don't want that to happen to anyone. Not even you. And… not even Parkinson." It seemed to pain her to say that about Pansy, but not because it was untrue.

His eyebrows knit tightly together. "What do you mean you've seen people 'change'?" he asked.

She hesitated for a decent length of time. He could see her looking at him out of the corner of her eye, and then back at the candle. "Um…" he barely heard her, and definitely wouldn't have at all if he hadn't seen her mouth move. "T-that's not why we're here, Malfoy." She told him, suddenly sitting straighter and plastering a fake smile on. "We're here to make sure you don't fail this blasted class, and hearing about my past, no matter how interesting, is not going to help. Let's get started."

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Wow this turned out to be so fricken _long_! Hot dang I didn't mean for that to happen. Oh well, I hope you liked this story! It ended in a way I don't usually go with but I'm quite proud of myself. Just saying.


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